The first supermoon of the new year officially happens on Monday, according to NASA. But nearly full moons on the two evenings following the supermoon and the night before the supermoon should make for equally good viewing. Those nights are Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

For the best view, go outside within an hour of when the moon rises and look to the eastern sky. The moon rises at a different time each night. Moonrise on Sunday is at 4:30 p.m. in the Phoenix area; Monday at 5:31 p.m.; Tuesday at 6:37 p.m.; and Wednesday at 7:46 p.m.

"Moonrise would be the time to look because you get the full effect," said Adam Block, who works at Steward Observatory in the University of Arizona's Department of Astronomy.

As the moon rises just above the horizon, objects in the foreground such as trees or buildings create the illusion that the moon is much bigger than it actually is. Once the moon is high in the sky, observers won't be able to tell a size difference between a full moon and a supermoon, Block said. The moon will appear brighter than usual.

A supermoon can make for dramatic photos, but a cellphone camera won't work well. Photographers need a camera with a long lens, said Aaron Boyd, a research analyst who studies the moon at Arizona State University's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera Science Operations Center.

To get the best shots, turn off the camera's automatic settings or turn down the exposure compensation, he said.